Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in regard to The UK's trade strategy (CP1339), published on 26 June, what progress they have made on delivering a single trade window.

Answered by Baroness Gustafsson - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Trade Strategy sets out a range of cross-Government measures to minimise administrative burdens and frictions experienced by businesses trading internationally. We will remain focused on working across Government to implement the various measures outlined in the strategy that will help businesses across the country to export and import the goods and services that will support growth and jobs.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of a UK–EU agreement on the return of asylum seekers, and whether they have had discussions with the EU on that topic in the light of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

As set out in the Common Understanding from 19 May, our priority is to work with the EU to strengthen our cooperation to tackle people smuggling gangs, coordinate in our approach to upstream migration, explore innovative solutions, and enhance information sharing between our respective border agencies.

This Government is already getting on with the work of returning people who have no legal right to be here. Nearly 30,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other immigration offenders were returned from the UK between 5 July 2024 and 18 May 2025. Of these total returns, 7,893 were enforced returns of people with no legal right to remain in the UK. This compares with 6,414 enforced returns over the same period 12 months prior, an increase of 23%.

A key part of reducing irregular arrivals is deterring those from making dangerous journeys in the first place.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to paragraph 53 of the UK–EU Summit – Common Understanding, published on 19 May, what discussions they have had with the European Union about improving the reciprocal exchange of biometric and criminal records data, including fingerprints, DNA and vehicle registration data.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is continuing to work at pace alongside our European counterparts to implement the agreement reached at the UK-EU Summit, including enhancing data exchange with the EU to respond to shared threats and support police investigations.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken under part 6 of the UK–EU Summit – Common Understanding to strengthen cooperation with European partners in addressing irregular migration.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Common Understanding signed on 19 May was a significant further step in our efforts to increase international cooperation to tackle the global challenge of organised immigration crime; a comprehensive partnership that will address all elements of the global challenge of irregular migration.

The first meeting with the Commission on Irregular Migration took place on 16 July. We discussed delivery options for each commitment and officials will use this information to work up delivery plans over the summer, anticipating further work with the EU from the Autumn.

We now have a formal structure in place to work jointly on this with the EU; to realise our ambition to coordinate actions in source countries, enhance cooperation with EU agencies, support information sharing and returns, and develop innovative approaches to stop small boat crossings and other forms of people trafficking across Europe.